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The Sun, in all his splendour, wears Thy beams,
And drinks in light from Thy exhaustless streams.
The Moon reveals Thee by her glimm'ring ray;
Unnumber'd Stars Thy glorious paths display.
Amidst the solemn darkness of the night,
The thoughts of God my musing soul delight.
Thick shades and night Thy dread pavilion form ;
In state Thou rid'st upon the flying storm;
While Thy strong hand its fiercest rage restrains,
And holds the wild unmanag'd winds in reins.
What sparklings of Thy majesty appear,
When thro' the firmament swift lightnings glare?
When peals of thunder fill the skies around,
I hear Thy voice in the tremendous sound.
But, oh! how small a part is known of Thee,
From all Thy works' immense variety.
Whatever mortal men perfection name,
Thou, in an infinite degree, dost claim.

And while I here Thy faintest shadows trace,
I pine to see the glories of Thy face;
Where beauty, in its never-changing height
And uncreated excellence, shines bright.
When shall the heav'nly scene, without control,
Open in dazzling triumph on my soul?

My pow'rs, with all their ardour, shall adore,
And languish for terrestrial charms no more.

THE BIBLE.

HAIL, sacred volume of eternal truth!

Thou staff of age! thou Guide of wand'ring youth'
Thou art the race which all that run shall win,
Thou the sole shield against the darts of sin;
Thou giv'st the weary rest, the poor man wealth,
Strength to the weak, and to the lazar health.
Lead me, my KING! my SAVIOUR! and my GOD!
Through all those paths thy sainted servants trod!
Teach me thy twofold nature to explore,
Copy the human, the Divine adore!

To want with patience, to abound with fear,
And walk between presumption and despair.
Then shall thy blood wash out the stain of guilt,
And not in vain, for me, even me, be spilt.

FOR A CHARITY SERMON.-J. Bowdler, Jun.
GOD, from his throne above the skies,
This darkling orb surveys;
And bids the sun in glory rise

To cheer a guilty race.

Alike to court and lowly glen,
Alike to friend and foe,
Freely for all the sons of men,
His daily bounties flow.

Nor rich with mercies less divine,
IMMANUEL'S holy name,

When, Heir and Lord of Judah's line,
The great Deliverer came.

No bounded love, no partial grace,
The heavenly heralds sung ;
They told of joy to every race,
Of praise in every tongue.

For wide as ocean ranges round,

And far as winds can rove,
From Salem swell'd the solemn sound

Of pardon, peace and love.

Oh'! 'then, while winged to Heaven in prayer

Our grateful accents flow,

For all the gifts we freely share,

And all the hopes we know:

Be our's the joy with ready zeal
To hail a Father's will;

The love a Saviour felt to feel,
The work he wrought fulfil.

So through the earth shall mercy reign,
And GOD, by mercy won,
Receive his long-lost world again,
The kingdom of his Son.

THANKFULNESS.-J. Bowdler, Jun.

SING to the LORD with cheerful voice,
From realm to realm the notes shall sound,
And heaven's exulting sons rejoice

To bear the full Hosanna round.

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When starting from the shades of night,

At dread JEHOVAH's high behest,
The sun array'd his limbs in light,
And earth her virgin beauty dress'd;
Thy praise transported Nature sung
In pealing chorus wide and far ;
The echoing vault with rapture rung,
And shouted ev'ry morning star.
When bending from His native sky,
The Lord of Life in mercy came,
And laid his bright effulgence by,
To bear on earth a human name;

The song, by cherub voices raised,

Roll'd through the dark blue depths above, And Israel's shepherds heard, amazed,

The seraph notes of

peace and love.

And shall not man the concert join,
For whom this bright creation rose;
For whom the fires of morning shine,
And eve's still lamps that woo repose?

And shall not he the chorus swell,.

Whose form the incarnate Godhead wore? Whose guilt, whose fears, whose triumphs tell How deep the wounds his SAVIOUR bore!

Long as yon glittering arch shall bend,
Long as yon orbs in glory roll,
Long as the streams of life descend,

To cheer with hope the fainting soul;

Thy praise shall fill each grateful voice,
Shall bid the song of rapture sound;
And heaven's exulting sons rejoice
To bear the full Hosanna round.

THE SABBATH.-J. Bowdler, Jun.

WHEN GOD from dust created man,
Six days beheld the growing plan,
Six days His power confess'd;
The seventh, in festal joy arrayed,
His perfect work, well-pleased, surveyed.
The Almighty Sire, and bless'd.

And, mindful of that solemn day,
His grateful sons their homage pay
Before the eternal throne

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With hymns of praise and pious prayer,
His everlasting rest declare,

And, joyful, wait their own.

For, not in vain, by twilight here,
With many a doubt, and many a fear,
Our pilgrim path we tread;

A little learn, a little do,

Observe, discover, hope, pursue,―
And mingle with the dead.

Beyond the dark and stormy bound,
That guards our dull horizon round,
A lovelier vale extends;
MESSIAH rules in mercy there,
And o'er His altar, bright in air,
The morning star ascends,

Oh! holy seat of love and peace,
The sounds of war and conflict cease,
Within thy quiet reign;

And every flower of fairest hue,
That once in favoured Eden grew,
Shall rise and bloom again.

For Thee, the early patriarch sighed,
Thy distant glory faint descried,
And hailed the blest abode :
A stranger here, he sought a home,
Fixed in a city yet to come,
The city of his GOD.

And oft by Siloa's haunted stream,
In heavenly trance, or holy dream,
To faithful Israel shewn,
Triumphant over all her foes,
The true, the living Salem rose,
JEHOVAH's promised throne.

Yet, yet, a few short hours must run,
And, GoD's unchanging purpose done,
The immortal day shall dawn;
Even now on yonder mountains grey,
Methinks I see a wandering ray

Proclaim the approaching morn.

Come, SAVIOUR, come, CREATOR LORD,
Substantial Light, Eternal Word,
Thy chosen seed redeem;
Awake, as in the elder time,
And marshal all thy hosts sublime,
And bid thy banner stream.

And oh! while yet we linger here,
With promised grace descend and cheer
Our doubtful path below;

That strong in faith, and warm with love,
With steady aim our feet may move,
Our grateful bosoms glow.

C

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